Railway-semaphore.



o. w. COLEMAN.

' RAILWAY SEMA`PHoRE.

APPLICATION FILEDV OT. 31, 1905.

4 2-SHEETS-BHEET 1.

PATBNTED MAR. 2'4, 1908,v

No. 882,930. l PATENTED MAR. 24, 190s.

c. w. COLEMAN. A RAILWAY sEM-APHORE.

APPLICATION FILED 0012341, 1905.

l ZSHEETB-BHEET 2.

MAN,

' tions for night signals,

' tions o'f the semaphore,

UNITEDsTATEs PATENT OEEIOE.

CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, OE WEs'rElELD, NEW JERSEY.,- Ass'IeNoE rro THE HALLSIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION oF MAINE.

RAILWAY-SEMAPHOEE.

Be it known that I ,-CLARENOE W. COLE- a citizen of the United States,residing at Westfield, in the county of Union "and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful ,Improvements in Railway-Semtphores, of which the following is a spec' cation, reference beinghad therein to tI e accompanying drawing,

i thereof.

My invention relates to semaphores such as disclosed in the Loree andPatenall Patent No. 733,981, dated July 21, 1903, wherein asemaphore-blade moves through the u per quadrant and the Weight voflsnow an ice upon the semaphore-blade, instead. of being an element ofdanger, is an el-z; rent :if safety increasing the normal tendency ofthe sema-l phore 'to danger position.

` My invention has for its objects to provide p semaphore of this classin which the signalam of t e semaphore to give the light indicaislocated on top of the signalost or support, permitting a singlesignal-Famp to be employed for two semaphores controlling traflic in oposite directions, as in a large proportion o single track Work and forstation and train-order signals, and l,also to provide such a semaphorein which the spectacle portionis largely disposed at the side of thesupport o osite that at which the blade is located in aposipermittingthe gravitationalfforces exerted .by the semaphorebladeand the spectacle portionto be opposed to eachy other without impairmentof the effect of snowv and ice in increasin 'the normal tendency of thesemaphore to t e danger position.

My invention also has for its object'to provide a semaphore ada ted forcoperation with a signal-lamp at t e top of the sup ort and also with asignal-lamp at' the side o the support opposite that at which the bladeis located.

Other objects f my invention will appear` from the .followingdescription of the /appaf ratus embodylngmy invention which isillustrated in the accompanying drawings.

'l Willnow describe4 such apparatus and .will

l' thereafter point .out my invention in the claims: p

Figure ..1 isis front elevation 0f the upper `part of a. semaphore-post,with two `serna-y forming a part which coperates With the spectaclesPatentes March a4., ieee.

phores thereon for tralic in both directions, oth semaphores being shownin the danger positions. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, With thepost in section.l Fig. 3 is a iront elevation 'of the arts shown in Fig.l, with the front semaphore in the safety or jclear position and therear semaphore in the caution or distant-danger position. Fig. 4 is anenlarged vertical section of the front semaphore-blade, taken on theplane indicated by the 4line 4-4, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a front eleva tionof a single semaphore and the upper -part of its semaphore-post, withthe signalmp located at the side ol the post opposite that at which thesemaphore-blade is located. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of asemaphorepost, with tWo semaphores thereon, for traffic in. bothdirections, the semaphores being of modiiied construction with separatesemaphore-blades and spectacle portions secured together, thesignal-lamp on top of the post, and both semaphores at clear andarranged to be pulled to such position by a Wire or other tension means.

l will iirst describe the construction shown in Figs. l to 4, inclusive.Here the semaphore-post e is of Ordinary construction, and thesignal-lamp Z) is on top ofthe post so that a single si nal-lamp isadapted for use With tWo semap ores such as shown, arranged for traflicin opposite directions. The front semaphore, 4Withits semaphore-blade atthe right side of the post, comprises theblade (l y and the spectacletions of the semapl or in one piece of s eet metal, as sheet-iron orsteel, beadedat vits, edges, as usual in sheetmetal Work, which mayibo,l welded or riveted thereto. Four spectacle-openings, g, y, r and o,are formed in the spectacle portion, three of which, g, y and r, arelocated so as tofoooperate with the signal-lamp l, on top of the post,in the dierent positions of thisl semaphore. The `spectacle-openings y;r and o are located s as to coperate lwith a signallamp located at theside of the such an arrangement of signal-lamp being shown in Fi 5 andthe signal-.lamp la there shown being su ported on. atbracket in theusual manner, ut located above the pivot of the sema here. Spectacles ofcolored or colorless g asses may be fitted in these- Spectacle-openingsin any desired portion' c, these two porore being made integralIandnhaving the pivot-boss jf.,

post opposite that at which the semaphore-blade is located,

ll() k rested in the danger positions manner, or the spectacleopeningsmay be artly unprovided 'with spectacles, as may be desired, to adaptthe semaphore to use as a three-position signal, a two-positionhomesignal, a two-position distant-signal, a switch-signal, atrain-order signal, or to any of the uses of a railway signal, and toadapt the semaphore to use either with the signallamp on top of the postas shown 1n Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, or with a signal-lamp at the side ofthe post as shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Figsjl to 4, inclusive,spectacles are rovided inthe three openings, g, y and r, w ich may begreen at g for safety, yellow at y for caution and red at r y fordanger; and as shown in Fig. 5 spectacles are provided in the openingsy, r and 0, green at 'y forrsafety, yellow at rfor caution and red at ofor danger.

The rear semaphore in Figs. l, 2 and 3, which has its blade at the leftside of the post, comprises the blade d and the spectacle portion e,having a pivot-boss f and' four spectacle-'openings, g, y', r and o.This rear semaphore is of exactly the same construction as the frontsemaphore already described. The semaphoresare secured on shafts y' andj', respectively, on which are also secured cranks and f,respectively,and op erating up-and-'down rods p and p', respectively, are secured tothe cranks and operate to push the signals to clear under the control ofautomatic or manually operated mechanisms, as may be desired, withlever, gas, pneumatxe, electrical or other operating mechanisms. vThesemaphores gravitate from the upper vertical or clear position, shown asthat of the front semaphore in Fig. 3, through the oblique or cautionposition, shown as that of the rear semaphore in Fig.

3, to the horizontal or danger position, shown as that of bothsemaphores in Figs. 1 and 2. The movements of the sema hores are arlp ystop-screws g, 2, respectivelyLwliich come in contact wit A' therespective cranks 7c, 7c', whenA the semaphores reach their dangerpositions. Jain-nuts g and g3, respectively, lock the stop-screws in thepositions to which they7 are adjusted.

The arrangement of the signal-lampen top of the post or support permitsa single lamp to be employed for two semaphores and is desirablewherever two semaphores on the same post are employed for traiiic inboth directions, as in a large proportion of single track work, and intrain-order and station signals. Such an arrangement requires thelocation of the spectacle-openings largely above the pivotal 'center ofthe semaphore, and where the sema] hore-blade moves downward from safetyto danger, through the upper quadrant, this construction involves themovement of the safety and cau' tion .spectacles over the pivotal centertoa constant quantity in all positionf wardl the blade side ot thepivotal centerl. Where a metallic semaphore-blade is employed, the bladeitself is of considerable weight, and if 'unbalanced would require theexpenditure of considerable' power to raise it from the danger to thesafetyposition, which with an automatic operating mechanism would be aserious objection, and where the blade and spectacle portionareintegral, a metallic blade isvdesirable and, indeed, a metallic bladeis for many reasons preferable to a wooden blade, the wooden bladehaving heretofore been so extensively used by reason of its lightness, adesirable feature in semaphores elevated to danger by counter weightingspectacle portions.

My improved semaphore above described has the weight of its spectacleportion disposed largely on the side of the pivotal center opposite thatat which the blade is located so that at all times the weight of theblade is to some extent counterweighted. As characteristic of semaphoresof the type to which my invention relates, the presence of snow and iceon the semaphore-blade only increases the normal tendency to danger, itbeing noted that on the side of the semaphore opposite the blade side ofthe pivot no portion of the semaphore extends far from the pivotalcenter, so that snow and ice on that side of the semaphore would not beof importance.

In the modified construction of semaphore shown in Fig. 6, thesignal-lamp is also located on top of the post and adapted to cooperatewith the spectacles of two semaphores, one for each direction oftra'l'Iic. Here each semaphore is made ot' two pieces, the spec- .tacleportion @Zand the blade d2, the spectacle portion being a comparativelyheavy metalic part or castinU and the blade of light material, as wood,the blade being bolted to the spectacle portion in the usual manner.Three spectacle-openings are here shown, g2, l 2 and r2. The operatingmeans here shown is a wire Z, which is secured to the crank llc andoperates to pull the semaphore to clear.

The spectacle portion is separately counterweighted so as to go todanger independently of the blade so as to guard against the possibilityof a clear signal at the spectacle por` tion, when a danger signalshould be given in the event of the detachment or breaking off of theblade, this weighting or counter-A Weighting being provided by thethickened portionl c3.' Here the spectacle-openings 3 swing above thepivot toward the blade side of the pivot, but the weighted part e3swings. downward toward the vertical line through the pivot as thesemaphore moves from safety to danger, and the resultant gravitationalforce exerted upon the semaphore to move it to the danger position appro'in L s semaphore.

.principle and scope of my invention.

-What l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is1 f l. Thecombination, with a semaphoresupport, oi a semaphore including a sema-lphore-blade and spectacle portion, the semaphore being pivotally mountedon a center at one side of the blade, and a signal-lamp located on topof the support, thespectacle semaphore having spectacleopeningsdisposed. so\-as to cooperate with the lamp in both the upper and thelower positions of theblade and the semaphore eing arranged so that theblade is at one side of the pivotal center when the semaphore is in thesafety position and moves downward at that side of' the pivotal centerfrom the safety to the danger position.

2. The combination, with a. semaphoresupport, of a semaphore includingan integral sema hore-blade and s ectacle portion, the semap ore beingpivota y mounted on a center at one-side of the blade, and a signallamplocated on top of the support7 the spectacle 1portion of the semaphorehaving a spectac e operate with the lamp. and the semaphore beingarranged so that the blade is at one side of the pivotal center when thesemaphore is in the safety position and moves downward at that side oithe pivotal center from the lsafety to the danger position.

3. The combination, with a semaphoresupport, of a semaphore including asemaphore-blade and spectacle portion, the semaphore being pivotallmounted on a center at one side of the b ade and arranged relatively toits pivotal center so that the` blade -opening disposed so as to co' isat one side el the pivotal center and a substantialV part of thespectacle portion is disposed at the other side of the pivotal center inall positions of thesemaphore and so that the blade moves downwardlromthesafety to the danger position.

4'. The combination, with a semaphore- `support, of a semaphore includinan integral semaphore-blade and spectacle portion,

the semaphore being pivotally mounted on a center at one side of theblade and relatively to its pivotal center so that the blade is at oneside of the pivotal center and a substantial part of the spectacleportion is disposed at the other side of the pivotal center in allpositions of the semaphore and so that the blade moves downward from thesafety to the danger position. y

5. The combination," with a semaphoresupport, of a semaphore including asernaphore-blade and spectacle portion, the semaphore being pivotallymounted on aI center at one side of the blade, the. spectacle portionbeing provided with spectacle-openings .adapted to cooperate with asignal-lamp on top of the support and also with a signallamp at the'sideof the/support, and with additional spectacle-openings each adaptedto""`coperate with a signal-lamp in one only of such positions, thesemaphore being arranged so that the blade pivotal center when thesemaphore is in the safety position and moves downward at the side ofthe pivotal center from the safety to the danger position. In testimonywhereof I have'aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE COLEMAN. Witnesses: l

HENRY D. WILLIAMS, BERNARD COWEN.

arrange d is at one side of thev

